How do I report a scam email or text?

For people who have received suspicious emails or texts.

Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and texts to 7726 (free).

If you're not sure a message is genuine, don't give out private information, reply to texts, download attachments or click on links.
If you've lost money in England or Wales, contact Report Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040.
In Northern Ireland, report to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 too, or call the PSNI on 101.
In Scotland, report the crime to Police Scotland.
Beware sites imitating government services and charging for free services.

Key facts

Emails: report@phishing.gov.uk
Texts: forward to 7726
Lost money: Report Fraud

Where to report each type of scam

The right place to report depends on how the scam reached you and whether you lost money.

What happened	Where to report it
Suspicious email	Forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk
Suspicious text message	Forward it to 7726 (free)
Email claiming to be from HMRC	Forward it to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, then delete it
Text claiming to be from HMRC	Forward it to 60599 (normal network rate)
Phone call claiming to be from HMRC	Use HMRC's online form for suspicious phone calls
Fake HMRC social media account	Email the details to branddefence@hmrc.gov.uk
Scam or misleading advert online	Report it to the Advertising Standards Authority
Scam or misleading advert in Google or Bing search results	Report it to Google or Bing

What happens when you report

Emails sent to report@phishing.gov.uk go to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). They look into the message and the websites it links to. Texts sent to 7726 go to your mobile provider, so it can take action.

If you have lost money or been hacked

Act quickly.

If you have given your bank or payment details to a scammer, contact your bank straight away.
In England or Wales, report it to Report Fraud. You can report online at reportfraud.police.uk, using an account or as a guest, or call 0300 123 2040.
In Scotland, if you lost money because of an online scam or fraud, report the crime to Police Scotland instead.

How to spot a scam

Scammers often pretend to be HMRC or another government department. Be careful with any message you were not expecting that:

offers you a tax rebate or refund
asks for personal or payment information

HMRC will only email you about a tax rebate, or ask for personal or payment information, from an email address ending in hmrc.gov.uk. It never uses social media to offer a tax rebate or to ask for personal or financial information.

Fake government websites

Some websites look like official government services but charge you extra fees for things you can do on GOV.UK. To find the real service, search on GOV.UK itself rather than clicking a link in a message or advert.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Report fraud

Common questions

What happens when I report a phishing email?

Emails forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk go to the National Cyber Security Centre, which investigates them.

Is it free to report a scam text to 7726?

Yes, forwarding a suspicious text to 7726 is free and reports it to your mobile provider.

How do I report a scam claiming to be from HMRC?

Forward HMRC scam emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. Genuine HMRC emails only come from addresses ending in hmrc.gov.uk.

How do I report a scam advert?

Report it to the Advertising Standards Authority, or to Google or Bing if it appeared in their search results.

Official sources

1.Avoid and report internet scams and phishingwww.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing
2.Reporting a scam (Northern Ireland)www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/reporting-scam
3.Report HMRC phishing emails, texts and phone call scamswww.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/reporting-fraudulent-emails

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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